Legislation to beat bed-blocking will hit social services funding

Birmingham Social Services has estimated it could be fined up to Â£1 million a year if new legislation to try to solve the bed-blocking crisis is passed. Under proposed legislation local authorities would have to pay the NHS Â£100 a day for every patient who is ready to leave hospital but cannot be discharged because of a lack of a place elsewhere. At present in Birmingham there are about 150 mainly elderly patients unable to leave hospital wards because social services has insufficient funding to offer places in residential or nursing homes. Answering its critics the Government says it is making money available to social services departments to help end bed-blocking, but Birmingham Social Services says that the problem is so acute that any additional money received could be wiped out by the fines it would have to pay. The problem is being made worse in Birmingham following by the recent closure of several privately-run care homes. Cllr John Hemming, leader of Birmingham Liberal Democrats, decribed the propos